Photosynthetic bacteria helped shape Planet Earth. Among them are cyanobacteria that produced the oxygen in our atmosphere and made complex life possible, captivating scientists for decades. Now, researchers at the […]
Cyanobacteria and eukaryotic microalgae (collectively referred to here as ‘microalgae’) represent early-evolving oxygenic phototrophs and are widely considered ideal candidates for bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS) due to their high […]
Vertical transmission of marine particles brings ocean surface cyanobacteria into the deep ocean, where heterotrophic cyanobacterial lineages probably evolve to adapt to new environments even in oxygen-depleted zones.
Terraces near Flamencos Lagoon in the southeastern Salar de Pajonales (Chile), located at 3,517 m above sea level in the arid Altiplano, host relic gypsum stromatolites and crusts formed under […]
![[LEFT] Occurrence of bd-type oxygen reductase in a dated tree of life. Branches in the dated tree of life obtained from Mahendrarajah et al. [81] are colored according to the presence (turquoise) or absence (gray) of bd-type oxygen reductase. Eukaryotes were not included in the analysis and are therefore colored in higher gray tones, as are taxa that were not present in the comparative dataset. Dark blue dots at nodes represent possible origins of bd-type oxygen reductase. Purple bars represent the percentage of strains within the taxa that have reductases. [RIGHT] Occurrence of HCO oxygen reductase in a dated tree of life. Branches in the dated tree of life obtained from Mahendrarajah et al. [81] are colored according to the presence (yellow) or absence (gray) of HCO oxygen reductase. Eukaryotes were not included in the analysis and are therefore colored in higher gray tones, as are taxa that were not present in the comparative dataset. Brown dots at nodes represent possible origins of HCO oxygen reductase. Purple bars represent the percentage of strains within the taxa that have reductases. -- Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Bioenergetics](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Oxygen-Reductase-Origin-Followed.png?resize=1200%2C900&ssl=1)
The history of Earth’s atmospheric oxygen is a cornerstone of evolutionary biology. While unequivocal evidence for an increase in atmospheric O2 marks the Great Oxidation Event (GOE) roughly 2.4 billion […]
Cyanobacteria form a morphologically and phylogenetically diverse group of oxygenic phototrophic bacteria inhabiting a wide range of environments, including extreme habitats such as hot springs and volcanic steam vents.
Caves and hypogean environments provide stable microclimates characterized by uniform temperatures, constant humidity, and low light levels.
One of the first organisms to appear on Earth was cyanobacteria, which carried out oxygenic photosynthesis.
The astonishing capability of life to adapt to extreme conditions provides a new perspective on what habitable means.
Terrestrial analog environments and their microbial communities are key elements to prepare for the exploration of extraterrestrial planetary environments that potentially sustained, or even may still sustain, the (bio)chemistry necessary […]
